Volunteering flexibility across the tourism sector

Abstract

Volunteers play a pivotal role in the tourism sector, contributing invaluable human resources to museums, visitor attractions, visitor information services and small and large-scale events. Recognition is being increasingly afforded to the role flexibility can play in efforts to attract and retain volunteers, given that volunteers appear to be more and more attracted to opportunities that provide them with a degree of flexibility in choosing how often and in what way they contribute to organisations. This paper combines an organisational and volunteer perspective to provide an exploratory insight into the flexibility options made available to and preferred by volunteers working within the tourism sector. The implications of adopting a flexible approach to volunteer management are highlighted and areas for future research discussed.

Keywords:

• volunteers
• tourism
• flexibility theory
• volunteering flexibility